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The Tea Party is trying to get the Republican Party to stop being the diet version of the Democrats on spending.

I think that is a good thing. If it is damaging the party a bit in the short term, so be it. The party will be stronger in the long term for it.

Mitt Romney winning the election would have been the most damaging thing for the Republicans. Because, Mitt Romney had big government Republican written all over him.

I have trouble believing that the Republican Party would benefit from becoming more conservative/authoritarian when the political climate in the US is shifting more and more to the left. The Republican party used to stand for some decent economic ideas that I agreed with. But at this point, those ideas have become overshadowed by the Tea Party and their over-the-top and hypocritical conservative social views.

I have trouble believing that the Republican Party would benefit from becoming more conservative/authoritarian when the political climate in the US is shifting more and more to the left. The Republican party used to stand for some decent economic ideas that I agreed with. But at this point, those ideas have become overshadowed by the Tea Party and their over-the-top and hypocritical conservative social views.

Libertarian. The Republican party would benefit from becoming more libertarian.

And they will. Basically, what is going to happen in the next 25-30 years is the libertarians are going to take over the Republican party.

Libertarianism is the way of the future. Big government liberalism is failing miserably, and social conservatism is also failing miserably.

Originally Posted by natepro

I assume this is in contrast to Republican's desires to see a strong and thriving Democrat party?

Of course. I for one, am shocked, SHOCKED, by the fact that President Obama favors the Democratic Party. It's almost like he's a member of it or something.

The Tea Party is trying to get the Republican Party to stop being the diet version of the Democrats on spending.

I think that is a good thing. If it is damaging the party a bit in the short term, so be it. The party will be stronger in the long term for it.

Mitt Romney winning the election would have been the most damaging thing for the Republicans. Because, Mitt Romney had big government Republican written all over him.

It's certainly a great bonus for all progressive people, and one of the reasons why I'm convinced that, barring the emergence of some bizarre skeleton from her closet, Hillary looks odds on for two terms! The Reps are successfully alienating all those sectors of the population that are growing at the fastest rates. Your "long term" redemption for Reps is going to disappear so far into the future, that I foresee some sort of major, perhaps even historically unprecedented, upheaval within the party in order to resolve its control, and its direction.

Of course, after two Hillary terms we will see a very different SCOTUS, one that will, I hope, put an end to gerrymandering and corporations as people, just for starters. Once gerrymandering is outlawed, the Reps will truly be totally screwed for ever - unless, they figure out how to rid the party of the insidious influence of the completely crazy wing, and return to being a rational participant in the process of government, one capable of dialogue and cooperation.

Libertarian. The Republican party would benefit from becoming more libertarian.

And they will. Basically, what is going to happen in the next 25-30 years is the libertarians are going to take over the Republican party.

Libertarianism is the way of the future. Big government liberalism is failing miserably, and social conservatism is also failing miserably.

I don't want to discuss the value of liberalism, nor conservatism, nor libertarianism, except to point out that the GOP will never go truly libertarian for social reasons. That would be writing off fully a third of the GOP.

The only other thing I want to restate, is none of them work in a pure basis, all of them work when mixed with each other. We now live, and always have lived in a mixed society. As I pointed out to another member of this board, socialism was written right into our Constitution (not by name, but by action of law), by the founding fathers. They also wrote a fair amount of libertarianism. We have not been pure from the beginning.

Here is the question of the day, does anyone think that wealthy people should pay a lower percentage of their income to taxes than middle class people? Don't argue tax brackets, just a simple question. Do you think someone earning 46 million dollars should pay a lower percentage of their income than say someone earning sixty thousand?

I have made it clear that my own politics are well to the left of the Dems, so whenever I find myself in a position of 'defending' them in any way, it is very much a question of the LOTE (lesser of two evils) for me. I believe that no rational person could deny that there are far more extremist batshit crazies hiding in the Rep party. There is no ultra-left 'koolaid' wing trying to subvert the Dem establishment, and drag it kicking and screaming to the extreme left, as the TP and its fellow travelers have been trying to do with the Reps in the opposite direction.

I suppose it's big of you to 'might agree' that Reps spin paranoia more when the evidence is all around every single day. My contempt for the avarice and corruption of politicians extends equally to both parties. But you surely cannot deny that the extreme right (and Boehner ) have a lock on seriously batshit crazy paranoia, particularly since the election.

Correct me if I'm wrong, and I was only 18 at the time.

But after Bush was elected (first time, 2000), I seem to recall a similar paranoia going on from the left side.

Maybe I'm wrong, and I wasn't paying much attention at the time. But I seem to recall that.

The Tea Party is trying to get the Republican Party to stop being the diet version of the Democrats on spending.

I think that is a good thing. If it is damaging the party a bit in the short term, so be it. The party will be stronger in the long term for it.

Mitt Romney winning the election would have been the most damaging thing for the Republicans. Because, Mitt Romney had big government Republican written all over him.

Romney did have big government Republican written all over him. I considered voting for Gary Johnson but thought Pennsylvania was too close so I punched the Romney/Ryan ticket.

The Tea Party is hurting the GOP mainly because of the bigots present in them, they need to go away. Otherwise the country will be turned over to spending authoritarian-style governing of the liberals.

But after Bush was elected (first time, 2000), I seem to recall a similar paranoia going on from the left side.

Maybe I'm wrong, and I wasn't paying much attention at the time. But I seem to recall that.

No you are correct. The Democratic party went through the exact same thing. It is obviously different now being its the Republicans turn right? A much needed correction is needed within the Republican party so this isn't such a bad thing.

French writer Alexis de Tocqueville warned about when visiting this fledgling democracy in the early 19th century – that this "American republic will endure until politicians realize they can bribe the people with their own money."

But after Bush was elected (first time, 2000), I seem to recall a similar paranoia going on from the left side.

Maybe I'm wrong, and I wasn't paying much attention at the time. But I seem to recall that.

I'll respond to both these posts in one, though I'm not at all a designated person to do so. In 2000, forums were still in their infancy, and the only one I posted on was a soccer forum. There was no social media either, so news came primarily from established news sources. Therefore, I wasn't involved in any debates with anyone about the 2000 election, except with real people in my surroundings, here in Amsterdam. I am therefore entirely unable to compare any paranoia that Dems may have felt then, with the steady stream of rampant paranoia about all kinds of things being displayed by sections of the right now.

Without going into a major rant, let me just say that in Europe in 2000, all major media sources pretty much agreed that it looked for all the world like one of the candidate's brothers, using his own party machinery in the state that he ran, had used every dirty, underhand, malicious, and downright criminal, trick in the book to ensure that his brother stole the presidential election. That is what every single person I knew at the time believed. At the very least, the Dems had some very serious real **** to be paranoid about after the 2000 election. So, without having lived in the US at the time, my opinion would be that you cannot compare the Dems post-2000 reaction with the Reps post-2012 behavior. Also, there was not a substantial part of the Dem party then that could remotely be called batshit crazy in the US context, whereas the Tea baggers.....

Originally Posted by hoosiercubsfan

No you are correct. The Democratic party went through the exact same thing. It is obviously different now being its the Republicans turn right? A much needed correction is needed within the Republican party so this isn't such a bad thing.

Boehner is pointing in the wrong direction. The Tea Party is trying to destroy the Republican party.

I almost agree with this. I would have said its social conservatives who are trying, and succeeding in destroying the GOP.

But yes Jeffy25, you are exactly right. There was significant discussion by democrats pertaining to the GOP trying to destroy the dem party, and they took stock and reforumulated new strategies, and look how that worked out for them- pretty well- if you consider being ****ed up six ways from Sunday a good thing, but that's for another thread.

What gets me though is that no one should need to be trying to destroy the GOP. There is so much wrong with it now that it desperately needs a complete overhaul, or to fall into the dustbin of history so that another platform can take its place.

The two-party system just needs to go. Republicans, and Democrats, are too focused on their party, and not making actual progress. I am definitely more liberal, but I will be the first to admit that the same thing happens in the Democratic Party. Maybe to a lesser extent IMO, but it is still there.

This article is a perfect example. Nothing about hurting the country or anything, just about hurting his party. We need to open up our eyes, and just get **** done. Everyone can have their opinions and ideas, thats fine. But it comes down to what works and doesnt work for that situation.

For the most part, neither side is willing to reach across the aisle and try to find something that works. Not compromise for the sake of compromise like Obama has done so the GOP will support it. But just look at the facts, listen to everything that is said, and figure out what will work and what wont.

I know it isnt always that simple, but there has to be a better way than whats currently happening.